Hirono Has $1 Million On Hand For Likely Senate Re-election Bid

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono raised nearly $300,000 in the first three months of the year, bringing her cash-on-hand total to more than $1 million.

The Democrat, who is expected to seek re-election next year, so far faces no announced primary or general election challenger.

Hirono’s donors include a mix of people from Hawaii and the mainland.

And almost 60 percent of her contributions come from political action committees, which is not unusual given the desire of PACs to sway national legislation.

Local contributors during the first quarter of 2017, according to Hirono’s filing with the Federal Election Commission, included Alexander & Baldwin CEO Chris Benjamin and $1,000 from political consultant Jennifer Sabas.

Mazie Hirono on primary election night in 2012.

John Hook/Civil Beat

The PAC money comes from the likes of EMILY’S List ($5,000), the General Dynamics Corporation PAC ($4,000) and the Asian American Hotel Owners AssociationPAC ($5,500).

The senator’s expenses include almost $30,000 to Benchmark Strategies, a fundraising consultant in Washington, D.C.

She also racked up airline miles and charged for ground transportation that ranged from Uber to a limousine and town car rental. Hirono also repaid herself $10,000 on a $100,000 loan.

Hirono’s million bucks is a respectable if modest amount. When she first ran for her seat in 2012 she raised $5.5 million and spent $5.6 million.

Senator Brian Schatz speaks at the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s unity breakfast held at the Dole Cannery Ballroom in August.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

In that election, Hirono faced a well-known primary opponent in Ed Case, a former congressman, and a well-known and well-funded general election candidate, former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle.

Hirono crushed both opponents.

The senator’s Democratic colleague, Brian Schatz, raised just $67,000 in the first quarter of 2017. But then, he would not up for re-election for another five years.

Schatz now has $2.2 million in his war chest, much of it money left over from his 2016 re-election campaign, when he raised $9.6 million.

His Republican opponent, John Carroll, raised a mere $54,000 and was defeated by Schatz in a landslide.